scuwp:Worst time for me? TV3 news. Seems to coincide with kids getting noisy (typical) which makes things worse! Don't know if thats 5.1 or 2ch, but I can never get it loud enough to hear over everything else thats going on. If it's an indemic problem then they better get it sorted or their viewer ratings might take a dive once the full changeover is complete.

You could just always switch the audio to AAC.

Never dawned on me it might be the TV? Its a Sharp Aquos...how on earth do I change the audio to AAC. Can't find a setting to do that anywhere?

Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman, then always be the Batman

scuwp:Worst time for me? TV3 news. Seems to coincide with kids getting noisy (typical) which makes things worse! Don't know if thats 5.1 or 2ch, but I can never get it loud enough to hear over everything else thats going on. If it's an indemic problem then they better get it sorted or their viewer ratings might take a dive once the full changeover is complete.

You could just always switch the audio to AAC.

Never dawned on me it might be the TV? Its a Sharp Aquos...how on earth do I change the audio to AAC. Can't find a setting to do that anywhere?

No idea. But TV's such as the Sony's and Panasonic's allow you to just push a button and change between AC3 and AAC.

hdinsider: HI Old3eyes. Are you decoding ac3 with an external amplifier? Maybe it's not TB-11 compliant causing the level changes. Or is it the STB downmix that's not right. What brand STB are you using?

1. I am sending the AC3 on a optical link to the HT amp from the STB.

2. I am sending the HD video thru component to the TV and the audio via analog connectors to the TV. No HDMI involved..

My STB is now a HDT HD801 http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/hd801s-digital-terrestrial-receiver-freeview-p-496.html

hdinsider: HI Old3eyes. Are you decoding ac3 with an external amplifier? Maybe it's not TB-11 compliant causing the level changes. Or is it the STB downmix that's not right. What brand STB are you using?

1. I am sending the AC3 on a optical link to the HT amp from the STB.

2. I am sending the HD video thru component to the TV and the audio via analog connectors to the TV. No HDMI involved..

My STB is now a HDT HD801 http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/hd801s-digital-terrestrial-receiver-freeview-p-496.html

The one I had before this was a Draco. Both have the same issue..

1. That is the cause when TV3 isn't transmitting a program that is in AC-3, the center and rear speaker and possibly the sub channel are transmitted as silence. When viewing TV2 in AAC, you have 2 channel PCM going to the receiver which will probably upmix it to use all speakers. More speakers = more perceived volume.

If you put your receiver in direct mode, it should only use 2 speakers on the decoded AAC PCM as well. Which should make them similar.

OR

Tell the set top box / tv to downmix AC3 to 2 Channel PCM, then it will be upmixed like AAC.

hdinsider: HI Old3eyes. Are you decoding ac3 with an external amplifier? Maybe it's not TB-11 compliant causing the level changes. Or is it the STB downmix that's not right. What brand STB are you using?

1. I am sending the AC3 on a optical link to the HT amp from the STB.

2. I am sending the HD video thru component to the TV and the audio via analog connectors to the TV. No HDMI involved..

My STB is now a HDT HD801 http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/hd801s-digital-terrestrial-receiver-freeview-p-496.html

The one I had before this was a Draco. Both have the same issue..

It sounds like the HT amp is not matching the Dolby decode level with the AAC level. It would be good to try another Dolby decoder (different brand amplifier maybe) and see what the level change is then.

My own experience with a Yamaha HT amp (fed optically) has been that the levels match when changing channels, (even if the Yamaha automatically goes into prologic mode when on TV1 or 2).

Looks like the STB isn't the problem if you aren't using it to decode or mixdown the Dolby.

hdinsider: HI Old3eyes. Are you decoding ac3 with an external amplifier? Maybe it's not TB-11 compliant causing the level changes. Or is it the STB downmix that's not right. What brand STB are you using?

1. I am sending the AC3 ?on a optical link to the HT amp from the STB.

2. I am sending the HD video thru component to the TV and the ?audio via analog connectors to the TV. ?No HDMI involved..

My STB is now a HDT HD801 http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/hd801s-digital-terrestrial-receiver-freeview-p-496.html

The one I had before this was a Draco. ?Both have the same issue..

It sounds like the HT amp is not matching the Dolby decode level with the AAC level. It would be good to try another Dolby decoder (different brand amplifier maybe) and see what the level change is then.

My own experience with a Yamaha HT amp (fed optically) has been that the levels match when changing channels, (even if the Yamaha automatically goes into prologic mode when on TV1 or 2).

Looks like the?STB isn't the problem if you aren't using it to decode or mixdown the Dolby.

Cheers.

That may explain the HT amp but not the STB to TV set which is over analog..

Fixed the problem (I think). Went through the decoder setup and un-selected anything that had a reference to dolby digital or digital sound. On this decoder we only use the TV sound so can't hear any real difference, other than the volume levels all now seem to be around the same.

Thanks for the clues eveyone has provided. I hope TV3 get there act sorted.

Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman, then always be the Batman

hdinsider: HI Old3eyes. Are you decoding ac3 with an external amplifier? Maybe it's not TB-11 compliant causing the level changes. Or is it the STB downmix that's not right. What brand STB are you using?

1. I am sending the AC3 ?on a optical link to the HT amp from the STB.

2. I am sending the HD video thru component to the TV and the ?audio via analog connectors to the TV. ?No HDMI involved..

My STB is now a HDT HD801 http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/hd801s-digital-terrestrial-receiver-freeview-p-496.html

The one I had before this was a Draco. ?Both have the same issue..

It sounds like the HT amp is not matching the Dolby decode level with the AAC level. It would be good to try another Dolby decoder (different brand amplifier maybe) and see what the level change is then.

My own experience with a Yamaha HT amp (fed optically) has been that the levels match when changing channels, (even if the Yamaha automatically goes into prologic mode when on TV1 or 2).

Looks like the?STB isn't the problem if you aren't using it to decode or mixdown the Dolby.

Cheers.

That may explain the HT amp but not the STB to TV set which is over analog..

Hi old3eyes,

I guess in this case that the Dolby decoder in the HDT STB can't be doing the correct decoding either. Is it a Freeview approved box?

Maybe the Draco was also not decoding correctly. I've got a dead Draco here. I'll try and make it go and check the levels and let you know.